Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary also known as Wyanad National Park is a popular wildlife sanctuary located on the Kerala hills. The sanctuary is located about 16 km east of Sulthan Bathery in Wayand district. The sanctuary provides shelter to a wide variety of animals, birds and reptiles and is also rich in vegetation.
The Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary covers an area of about 344 square kilometres. and is home to wildlife such as Gaur, sloth bears, sambhar, elephants, reptiles, tigers, spotted deer, monkeys, panthers, jungle cats, civet cats, wild dogs, bison, lizards, bears, wild pigs, leopards and other animals. The sanctuary borders the Mudumulai Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu and Nagarhole Sanctuary and Bandipur Sanctuary in Karnataka. Muthanga National Park is a special Project Elephant site where herds of elephants can be seen frolicking near the water holes.
Flora and Fauna of Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary
Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary is home to a variety of wild animals and plants. The vegetation is simply exotic. The complete area is dotted with dense rainforests with moist deciduous vegetation. Tourists can also see stretches of tea and coffee plantations spreading there aroma all over. The herbal and medicinal vegetation that also grow here that form an integral part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. The vegetation at Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary includes rolling stretches of grasslands and mesmerizing meadows.
The Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary offers a natural habitat to a wide variety of animals that include Gaur, sloth bears, sambhar, elephants, reptiles, tigers, spotted deer, monkeys, panthers, jungle cats, civet cats, wild dogs, bison, lizards, bears, wild pigs, leopards and other animals. Many colourful birds can also seen here like the Malabar Grey Hornbill, peacocks, owls, woodpeckers, cuckoos, jungle fowl, babblers, herons, egrets, water ducks, bulbuls, peafowl, shrikes, eagles, cormorants, wagtails, rollers, pheasants, snipes and a large variety of other birds. Tourists can also take an elephant ride to discover the natural trails of the Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary. The perfect time to embark on a wildlife tour to the captivating Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary is during the months of June to October.
Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary is easily accessible by road, rail and air. The nearest airport is the one at Kozhikode, nearly 120 km from Sulthan Bathery. The nearest railway station is also Kozhikode, about 97 km by road from Sulthan Bathery.
